Donepezil

Brands
and Forms

Uses
of Donepezil

Donepezil is used for treating Dementia. It
delays the progression of the cognitive decline, and can also help to
control some of the behavioral symptoms associated with Dementia.

How
Donepezil Works

Donepezil is a cholinesterase inhibitor. It blocks the actions of centrally-acting
acetylcholinesterase (AChE), thus making acetylcholine more available
in the central nervous system.

Cautions
when Using Donepezil

Use with caution in people with asthma and other respiratory diseases,
and seizure disorder.

Dosing
of Donepezil

The usual therapeutic range of Donepezil is 5-10mg/day, given once daily
at bedtime. It can be started at 5mg/day, and increased to 10mg/day after
4-6 weeks depending on clinical response.

When wanting to stop Donepezil, the dose should be decreased gradually
over a period of a couple of weeks.

Onset
of action

May take up to 6 weeks before any improvement in memory of behavior
becomes evident.

Kidney
impairment

Reduce dose in patients with moderate renal function impairment. Do
not administer to patients with severe renal function impairment (Ccr
less than 30 mL/min).

Liver
impairment

Use with caution. May need to lower dose.

Side-effects
of Donepezil

Below is a list of most of the reported side-effects of Donepezil.
Most of these side-effects occur in only a minority of individuals, and
many also resolve with time while the medication is continued.